Apparatus for forming disk wheels or the like



Nov. 29, 1938. E. A. NELS ON APPARATUS FOR FORMING DISK WHEELS OR THE LIKE Original Filed March 23, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l .Z'mz'Z /7. Nelson, Q

Nov. 29, 1938, NELSON 2,138,115

APPARATUS FOR FORMING DISK WHEELS OR THE LIKE Original Filed March 23, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [ITI q H H H I| /5 l I i H 4a II II {1 1/ rm 4a /"51l l le z \ul f w I L y l6 w A Z2 1 0 3 Z Ag gwuc/wboo Emil fl Nelsen Patented Nov. 29, 1938 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR FORMING DISK WHEELS OR THE LIKE Emil A. Nelson, St. Clair Shores, Mich.

Original application March 23, 1935, Serial No. 12,555, now Patent No. 2,095,343, dated October Divided and this application December 11, 1936, Serial No. 115,330

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for forming metal articles, and is a division of my application for Letters Patent 'of the United States for Improvements in method of making disk wheels, filed March 23, 1935 and serially numbered 12,555, now Patent Number 2,095,343, dated Oct. 12, 1937.

More particularly, the invention pertains to apparatus for forming improved steel disk wheels and/or blanks from which such wheels and other articles may be constructed.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide apparatus of this character by which selected portions of the finished product may be brought to different predetermined thicknesses during formation thereof from stock of substantially uniform thickness.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this character which is adapted to bring selected portions of a tubular blank to a reduced diameter and which may be so constructed and arranged as to maintain the thickness of the metal of such reduced portions equal to, less than, or greater than the initial thickness of the stock of the blank.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this kind by which substantially the initial grain and flow line structure of the stock is preserved in the thin portions of the article formed thereby, and which is provided with a greater compactness in the structure of the metal of the thickened portions of such articles as compared with the corresponding initial characteristics of the stock.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus by which articles, particularly steel disk wheels, can be formed from sheet-like metal stock substantially without waste thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to proide fast acting apparatus of this character which occupies comparatively little floor space and which has a capacity for producing a relatively large number of articles in a short period of time.

ther objects of the invention are to provide a disk wheel forming machine of this character which is adapted to simultaneously form two wheels to an approximately finished contour from one sheet metal blank; to provide apparatus of this kind in which preformed, or unaltered, tubular blanks'may be brought substantially to their finished contour in a single operation; to provide means in such apparatus for distorting one zone of a tubular blank radially inwardly and simultaneously feeding the metal of other portions of the blank axially toward the inwardly distorted zone thereof so as to prevent a reduction in the thickness of the metal at and adjacent the inwardly distorted zone; to provide means of this character which can be so constructed and arranged as to predetermine the relative rates of inward distortion and axial feeding of the metal of the stock as Well as the resulting thickness of the inwardly distorted and adjacent portions of the stock; to provide apparatus of this character which produces wheels of uniform shape, size and contour; to provide apparatus by which disk wheels can be formed from rectangular shaped pieces of sheet metal stock of uniform thickness without requiring removal of any of the metal in. the formation of the central hub passages with which wheels of this kind are conventionally provided; and to provide apparatus of this character by which the portion of the disk wheel, which in practice is securable to the wheel hub, may be brought to a greater thickness than the initial uniform thickness of the blank from which it is formed.

Additional objects of the invention are to provide an improved steel disk wheel having diverse thicknesses at selected portions and in which substantially no portion thereof has a thickness materially less than the initial thickness of the stock from which it is formed; to provide a wheel of this character which is free from fiow lines that are elongated materially with respect to the initial flow lines of the stock; and to provide thickened portions in articles of this kind in which the grain structure of the metal thereof is more compact than that of the original stock.

The above being among the objects of the present invention, the same consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and then claimed, havin the above and other objects in view.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a tubular blank from which a pair of disk wheels may be formed by the improved apparatus and method.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the tubular blank shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, side elevational view, partly in section, of a preformed blank which is suitable for formation into a pair of disk wheel blanks by apparatus embodying the invention.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational View, partly in vertical section, of a wheel forming machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view showing a mandrel of the machine illustrated in Fig. 4, as viewed from the line 55 of the latter.

Fig. 6 is a transverse, sectional view, partly in end elevation, taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 4 and showing the mandrels of the forming machine in their extended positions corresponding to the positions thereof before commencement of their forming strokes.

Fig. 7 is a view, similar to Fig. 6, but illustrating the positions in which the mandrels are disposed at the completion of their stroke thereof.

Fig. 8 is a diametrical, sectional view showing the condition of the stock after removal thereof from the forming machine.

Fig. 9 is a diametrical, sectional view of one of a pair of completed disk wheels which may be produced from one of the united wheel blanks illustrated in Fig. 8.

In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the forming machine shown in Figs. 4 to '7, inclusive, includes a base supporting structure, generally designated by the numeral 19, and preferably comprising a suitably cored casting which is centrally located with respect to a frame structure generally designated by the numeral I I. The frame structure I I includes upper and lower vertically aligned and longitudinally extending I-beams I2 and Ill, respectively, which are supported intermediate their ends by the base structure l0 and at their opposite end portions by pairs of vertical supports i4 and I5, respectively. Formed in the central base structure I 0 are co-axial, fixed sleeves I5 extending transversely of the length of the frame structure II and in each of which is shiftably mounted an inner sleeve I6. Formed on the inner end of each shiftable sleeve I6 is a radial flange IT.

A roller I8 having an elongated stem or hub portion I9 is rotatably carried by each sleeve I6 and disposed in facing relationship between the radial flanges ll of the sleeves I6. The hub portion I9 of each roller is supported by a pair of rolling contact bearing elements 29 disposed within the central passage of each sleeve I6, as

illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7. The bearing members20 are seated in counterbores 2I formed in the opposite end portions of each sleeve I 6 and they are so constructed and arranged that one bearing member resists inward axial thrust of the hub portion I9 while the other bearing resists outward axial thrusts thereof, the outward axial thrust being applied on the innermost bearing by a nut 22 threaded on the inner end of each hub portion I9. The facingsides 23 of the rollers I8 are of frusto-conical contour and the peripheral portion of each roller is provided with an undercut continuous slot 24.

Shiftably mounted on the: upper I-beam I2 of the frame structure II is a mandrel 25 having a forming portion 32 which tapers in width and increases in depth from its right end, as viewed in Fig. 4, to its left end portion. The mandrel 25 is shiftably supported on the I-beam I2 by spaced rollers 26 which are rotatably mounted on lugs 21 attached to or formed integral with the mandrel. The rollers 26 extend between the flange of the opposite sides of the I-beam I2 and are disposed in rolling contact engagement with the lower opposite side flanges thereof so as to support the mandrel 25 in suspended relation. Shiftably mounted on the lower I-beam I3 is a mandrel 21 substantially identical in shape to the mandrel 25. The forming portion 32' of the mandrel 27, however, tapers in width and increases in depth from its left end to its right end, as viewed in Fig. 4.

The mandrel 2'! is shiftably mounted on the I-beam I3 by spaced pairs of rollers 28 which are rotatably mounted on lugs 29 formed integral with or fixed to the lower side of this mandrel. The rollers 28 extend between the flanges of the opposite sides of the I-beam I3 and are disposed in rolling contact engagement with the lower flanges of the opposite sides thereof so as to support the mandrel 21 in upright position. Each of the mandrels 25 and 21 is held against outward movement from the axes of the rollers I8 by a pair of wheels 30 journaled on a shaft 3I carried by the base structure I0 and disposed in vertical alignment with the axis of the roller I8, as illustrated in Figs. 4, 6, and 7. The wheels 30 relieve the rollers 26 and 28 of the outward thrust exerted upon the mandrels 25 and 21 during the forming operation.

Each forming portion of the mandrels 25 and 21 varies in cross sectional shape from the contour shown in Fig. 6 at the wide end portion thereof to the contour shown in Fig. '7 at the smaller end portion. The forming portion 32 and 32 of the respective mandrels are constructed and arranged so as to extend between the frustoconical facing sides of the rollers I8 to a successively greater depth during progressive movement of the mandrels from their starting positions illustrated in Fig. 4, to their respectively opposite limiting positions illustrated in section in Fig. 7. The forming parts of the mandrels 25 and 21 have side wall portions 33 which conform generally to the facing conical side portions of the rollers I8. These portions of the side walls of the forming parts of the mandrels are relieved, as illustrated at 34 in Fig. 7, in order to reduce the areas of frictional contact between the mandrels and the work. This construction provides arrow-head shaped edge portions 35 at the adjacent edge portions of the mandrels which serve to perform the final forming operation of the machine.

Provided on the opposite longitudinal sides of each mandrel 25 and 21 are substantially vertical, converging cam surfaces 36 which converge from a maximum spaced relationship at the inner ends of the mandrels, as viewed in Fig. 4, to a minimum spaced relationship at the outer end portions thereof. These cam surfaces are adapted to predetermine the rate of feeding of the metal of the stock operated upon by the machine to the space between the facing frusto-conical sides of the rollers I8 in a manner hereinafter set forth.

The mandrels 25 and 21 are, during operation of the machine, moved simultaneously in opposite directions from their starting positions shown in Fig. 4 by hydraulic, pneumatic or combinations of hydraulic and pneumatic actuating means. In the form shown, each mandrel is provided with an actuating rod 31 which extends longitudinally of the supporting frame II and which is threaded in an aperture of, or otherwise suitably attached to, the starting end portion of its associated mandrel. Provided on the outer end portions of the actuating rod 31 are pistons 38 which are slidably mounted in cylinders 39, each mandrel having its own associated piston and cylinder. The adjacent ends of the cylinder 39 are connected in parallel with a source of fluid medium under pressure, such, for example, as oil, by a conduit 40 which communicates intermediate its ends with a three-way valve 4|, having a fluid medium inlet 42 connected with a suitable source (not shown) of fluid pressure medium, and an exhaust outlet 43 leading to a suitable drain or return pipe (not shown). The outer ends of the cylinder 39 are connected in parallel with the valve 4| and fluid medium inlet 42 by a conduit 44. The valve 4| is adapted to be adjusted so as to supply the fluid medium to the conduit 46 and to bring the conduit 44 into communication with the exhaust outlet 43, for the purpose of forcing the pistons 48 outwardly with respect to each other and moving the mandrels 25 and 2? inwardly from their starting positions shown in Fig. 4. The valve 4| may be also set, as illustrated in Fig. 4, to bring the source of fluid pressure into communication with-the conduit 44 and the exhaust outlet 43 into communication with the conduit 4|] so as to supply fluid medium to the outer ends of the cylinders 39' and move the pistons 38 inwardly with respect to each other and to thereby return the mandrels to their starting positions.

During movement of the mandrels longitudinally of the frame structure II and transversely with respect to the axes of the rollers l8, the latter are moved inwardly toward each other by fluid pressure actuating mechanism illustrated in Fig. 6 and including a pair of cylinders 46 associated with each roller |8 respectively. Slidably mounted in each cylinder 46 is a piston 41 having a piston rod 48 threaded in an aperture 49 formed in the flange ll of the roller supporting sleeve |6. The flange ll of each sleeve I6 is provided with spaced pairs of inwardly extending lugs 59 on which spaced rollers 5| are rotatably mounted about vertical axes. Each roller of each flange I! is disposed in rolling contact with one of the cam surfaces of corresponding sides of the mandrels 25 and 27 respectively. When fluid pressure, such, for example, as oil under pressure, is admitted to the outer end portions of the cylinder 46, the pistons 41 and piston rod 48 are urged inwardly, thereby forcing the sleeve l6 and rollers l8 carried thereby, inwardly to the extent permitted by the cam surfaces 36 of the mandrels.

The supply of fluid pressure to the opposite end portions of the cylinders 46 may be manually controlled by a valve 52 having a fluid medium outlet 53 connected by a conduit 54 with the inner end portions of all of the cylinders and having a fluid medium outlet 55 connected with the outer end portions of all of the cylinders by a conduit 56. The valve 52 has a fluid medium inlet 5'1 connected with a suitable source (not shown) of fluid under pressure, and it is also provided with an exhaust outlet 58 which is connected with a drain or return pipe (not shown). When the valve is set in the position illustrated in Fig. 6, the outlet 53 thereof communicates with the fluid pressure inlet 51 so as to supply fluid medium under pressure to the inner end portions of all of the cylinders, and the conduit 56 communicates with the exhaust outlet 58. This valve may be adjusted to bring the outlet 55 into communication with the inlet 51 so as to supply fluid medium under pressure to the outer end portions of all of the cylinders while permitting the inner end portions of the cylinder to communicate with the exhaust outlet 58.

In operation, a piece of sheet metal, such as sheet steel, of substantially rectangular shape is brought to cylindrical form in any conventional manner and the edge portions of the stock are welded together, as illustrated at 51 in Fig. 2, so as to provide a sheet metal tubular blank 58. A sheet metal tubular blank 58 of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, may, if desired, be operated upon directly in the foregoing forming machine, but it is preferable to perform the blank to the contour shown in Fig. 3 in any conventional rolling process. The i blank 59, as shown in Fig. 3, has a depressed intermediate portion 60 of arcuate contour which is disposed between cylindrical rim or end portions 6|. The blank 59, or a blank of the type shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be brought to a desired contour in a single operation of the foregoing machine so as to simultaneously provide a pair of joined disk wheel blanks of the character shown in Fig. 8. This may be accomplished by bringing the mandrels 25 and 21 to their starting positions illustrated in Fig. 4, and then placing a blank, for example, the blank 59 which has preferably been heated to a desired plasticity, on the lower mandrel 2'! in the position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 and allowing the blank to roll into the space between the rollers l8 while the latter are spread apart. The operator then adjusts the valve 52 to that position thereof which admits fluid under pressure to the outer end portions of all of the cylinders 46 so as to force the rollers I8 inwardly toward each other. During inward movement of the rollers |8, the cylindrical rim portions 6| of the blank 59 are engaged in the undercut slots 24 of the rollers iii,

the relationship of the' blank, mandrels and rollers at this state of the process being illustrated in section in Fig. 6. The valve 52 is left in the foregoing adjusted position and the operator then adjusts the valve 4| so as to apply fluid pressure to the inner ends of the cylinders 39, thereby causing the upper mandrel 25 to be shifted to the right and the lower mandrel 27 to be shifted simultaneously to the left, as viewed in Fig. 4.

During these operating strokes of the mandrels 25 and 2?, the rollers M of the feeding mechanism follow the converging cam surfaces'36 of the mandrels so as to permit progressively inward movement of the rollers toward each other in timed relation to the movement of the mandrel. The cam surfaces 36 are so constructed and arranged with respect to the contour of the working parts 32 of the mandrels as to proportion the feeding of the metal of the blank with respect to the rate of depression of the intermediate portions thereof between the rollers. In the formation of steel disk wheels it is preferable to feed the work at such a rate as to increase the thickness of that portion of the blank which is brought to the contour of the facing frustoconical sides of the rollers 48. In some instances, however, it may be desirable to maintain the initial thickness of the metal of the blank in the finished product and in this event the cam surfaces 35 may be predetermined to accomplish this result. If desired, the cam surfaces may be so constructed and arranged as to permit a predetermined amount of stretching of the metal during depression thereof between the rollers so as to thereby reduce the thickness of the deformed portion of the blank. When the deformed portion of the blank is increased in thickness as compared to the initial thickness thereof, a gradual variation in thickness, illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, from the thickness of the stock at the outermost portions of the blank to a maximum thickness at the innermost deformed portions thereof, may be produced. After the working strokes of the mandrels have been completed and the normally outer ends of the mandrels 21 have passed each other at the inner positions of their strokes, the blank is removed and the operator then adjusts the valve 52 to exhaust the fluid pressure from the outer end portions of all of the cylinders 6 and to admit fluid pressure to the inner end portions of such cylinders. Thereafter, the valve 4| is so adjusted as to admit fluid pressure to the outer end portions of the cylinders 3d so as to retract the mandrels 2! to their starting position, and to condition the machine foranother operating cycle.

The formed blank which has been removed is substantially in the condition illustrated in Fig. 8 and is then severed along the line 62 so as to provide two steel disk wheel blanks which may be readily brought to the final shape shown in Fig. 9, between suitable dies (not shown). The resulting disk wheel has a rim portion 63 which has been subjected to substantially no work during the forming operation and in which the grain structure and flow lines are substantially the same or correspond substantially with the grain and fiow lines of the initial blank. The side portions 64, however, of the disk wheel shown in Fig. 9, is increased in thickness as compared to the thickness of the stock. This increase has been effected by crowding of the metal of the blank during the forming operation and, as a result, the grain structure is somewhat more compact than that of the initial blank and the flow lines of the metal of the side portion 64 of the wheel are not elongated as compared to the flow lines of the initial blank.

During the foregoing forming process, the in termediate portion 68 of the blank 59 is forced inwardly sufficiently to provide a disk wheel side forming portion having a length of cross section substantially equal to that desired in the finished product. The central opening 65 with which disk wheels of this character are conventionally provided is formed by discontinuing the inward depression of the intermediate portion of the blank at a predetermined depth and substantially no metal is cut away or otherwise wasted. In this manner, a material saving is effected for all of the metal which the original flat, rectangular sheet of stock contained, is present in the final product.

Although but one specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for simultaneously forming a pair of wheel blanks from tubular stock including a supporting structure, a pair of spaced rollers rotatively and shiftably mounted on said supporting structure for supporting said tubular stock and urging the end portions thereof toward each other, a pair of mandrels shiftably mounted on said supporting structure having portions registering with and engageable between said rollers for urging intermediate portions of said stock between said rollers, means for simultaneously shifting both of said mandrels relative to said rollers and simultaneously shifting the latter toward each other, and mechanism for positively proportioning the rate of shifting movement of said mandrels with respect to the rate of shifting movement of said rollers so as to predetermine the thickness of the portion of said blank operated upon.

2. Apparatus for forming an article having a peripheral portion and a portion angularly disposed relative thereto from a tubular metal blank including a support, spaced rollers rotatively and shiftably mounted on said support for supporting said blank and so constructed as to engage and urge the end portions thereof inwardly relative to each other, an elongated mandrel shiftably mounted on said support having a longitudinally tapered portion registering with and engageable between said rollers for urging an intermediate portion of said blank therebetween, said mandrel having cam surfaces thereon, means for shifting said mandrel relative to said rollers to bring successive parts of progressively greater dimensions of the tapered portion thereof between said rollers, apparatus for urging said rollers together during movement of said mandrel, and members coacting between said rollers and said cam surfaces for predetermining the rate of movement of said rollers toward each other with respect to the rate of movement of said mandrel relative to said rollers.

3. Apparatus for forming an article having a peripheral portion and a portion angularly disposed relative thereto from a tubular metal blank including a support, spaced rollers rotatively and shiftably mounted on said support for supporting said blank and so constructed as to engage and urge the end portions thereof inwardly relative to each other, a mandrel shiftably mounted on said support having an engaging portion which engages an intermediate portion of said blank and which is disposed for movement between said rollers, said engaging portion being of progressively varying dimensions, means for shifting said mandrel relative to said rollers to bring successive portions of progressively varying dimensions of said engaging portion between said rollers in engagement with intermediate portions of said blank, apparatus for urging said rollers together during movement of said mandrel, and members co-acting between said rollers and said mandrel for predetermining the rate of movement of said rollers toward each other with respect to the rate of movement of said mandrel relative to said rollers.

4. Apparatus for forming an article having a peripheral portion and a portion angularly disposed relative thereto from a tubular metal blank including a support, spaced rollers rotatively and shiftably mounted on said support for supporting said blank and so constructed as to engage and urge the end portions thereof inwardly relative to each other, a mandrel shiftably mounted on said support having an engaging portion which engages an intermediate portion of said blank and which is disposed for movement between said rollers, said engaging portion being of progressively increasing depth and progressively decreasing width, means for shifting said mandrel relative to said rollers to bring successive portions of progressively increasing depth and progressively decreasing width of said engaging portion between said rollers in engagement with intermediate portions of said blank, apparatus for urging said rollers together during movement of said mandrel, and members co-acting between said rollers and said mandrel for predetermining the rate of movement of said rollers toward each other with respect to the rate of movement of said mandrel relative to said rollers.

EMIL A. NELSON. 

